Pardon us if we didn’t see this coming: Running back Jeremiah Johnson said he’ll be good to go this week. One of the Lions’ most inspirational players was injured in the first quarter, when he fumbled and had injury added to insult when A.C. Leonard landed on his ankle. Hobbled, Johnson appeared done for the game, if not the season (an ankle injury forced him to miss two starts in July). But Johnson reappeared, finished the game with eight rushes for 40 yards and announced himself ready for Winnipeg. “It felt worse than it really was,” Johnson said. “I felt blessed to get back in. It was a flat tire that just needed some air.”

GORE A CONCERN

There are serious concerns for the health of wide receiver Shawn Gore, who appears to have had a relapse of concussion issues that plagued him earlier. His participation in Sunday’s playoff must be considered problematic. Gore was scratched from Saturday’s game, enabling rookie Shaq Johnson to suit up in his place. It was the second time Johnson, a fourth-round draft pick in 2016, has been activated this season. But it was the first time Johnson has made a meaningful contribution. He was targeted once as a receiver and tracked down punt returner Joe Craig, driving him into the Alpine Credits sideline signage, for no gain on an aggressive downfield special teams tackle.

GAITOR AID

The manoeuvre is universally feared by football players — the wipeout block, or bastard block. Brutal but clean, Roughriders running back Joe McKnight laid one on Anthony Gaitor in the first quarter, contacting the B.C. cornerback in the chest when Gaitor wasn’t looking. “I got the wind knocked out of me,” said Gaitor, who insists he’ll be ready to play next Sunday. His replacement, Keynan Parker, left the Lions with little to worry about. Parker had a pass breakup in the end zone, rocked Phil Bates with a devastating hit that collapsed the Roughrider receiver and finished the night with three tackles. “I’ve been in this role all year,” Parker said. “I’m ready for it.”

BRIDGE TO THE FUTURE?

With veteran Darian Durant left behind in Regina — physically unable to perform, according to head coach Chris Jones — the Roughriders employed all three of their backup quarterbacks, Mitchell Gale, G.J. Kinne and Canadian Brandon Bridge. The third option, Bridge was the most impressive of the bunch, completing 10 of 11 passes for 120 yards and engineering two late touchdowns, one in which he did most of the work himself on a 16-yard burst to the end zone. “To see a Canadian quarterback (in the CFL) would put a lot of faith in CIS (Canadian university) quarterbacks,” said Bridge, a Mississauga, Ont., native who played at South Alabama, where he was known as Air Canada.

A GROUNDED INDIVIDUAL

Flights to Regina from Vancouver are infrequent and inconvenient. And so, goes the story, Maple Ridge realtor Paul McCallum hoped to catch a ride on the Lions’ charter flight to Regina for the farewell game at Mosaic Stadium on Oct. 29. The former Roughrider kicker was prepared to pay $1,000 for a return trip on the Lions’ Air North carrier, but Wally Buono was cool on the idea, apparently not wanting to set a precedent. A day later, McCallum, who flew commercially, received a phone call from the Lions head coach, seeking his services to replace the struggling Richie Leone. McCallum, 46, went four-for-four on field goal attempts Saturday on his return to the CFL.

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